
Environmental Containment for Blasting
Ensuring the public’s access to a safe and clean water supply is a critical responsibility for water treatment facilities. When Wessex Water and Bristol Water embarked on essential repairs and restorations to equipment within multiple plants across the UK, they needed a solution that would prevent any potential contamination incidents. Ecoshrink was selected to design and install an industrial shrink wrap containment system that would enable uninterrupted maintenance while maintaining strict health and safety standards.
This case study details the importance of shrink wrap containment solutions in sensitive operations, illustrating why temporary containment solutions are crucial for effectively managing risks in water treatment environments.
Challenges in Industrial Containment & Blasting
The teams at Wessex Water and Bristol Water faced a significant challenge: how to conduct equipment repairs without jeopardising the purity of the water supply or disrupting service to local communities. Even a minor leak or accidental spillage could compromise the public’s trust, let alone the actual quality of the water. In addition, large portions of their facilities operate around the clock, leaving minimal room for downtime.
Another critical issue was the potential for airborne contaminants to spread during restoration efforts—dust, particles, or hazardous substances could inadvertently be released into the environment. While environmental containment for blasting or painting is a common use case, water treatment facilities add a higher layer of complexity due to potential public health implications. As a result, shrink wrap for hazardous material containment was not merely an option but a near necessity.
Finally, many of the treatment sites had limited workspace and intricate pipe networks, requiring a flexible, scalable covering solution. Traditional partitions or barriers often proved ineffective or cumbersome in such complex environments. The key requirement was a system robust enough to safeguard sensitive equipment yet agile enough to adapt to differing site layouts.
Our Innovative Shrink Wrap Containment Solutions
EcoShrink proposed a comprehensive shrink wrap for industrial projects approach that combined durability, cost-effectiveness, and precision:
Custom-Fitted Scaffold Framework: We first erected scaffolding around the targeted equipment, designing the structure to ensure all maintenance areas were clearly defined and enclosed. This scaffold acted as the skeleton for the subsequent shrink wrap application, providing a stable platform for employees and aiding in the segregation of work zones.
High-Quality Shrink Wrap Application: Using specialised material tailored to industrial conditions, our team wrapped each scaffold in heavy-duty shrink wrap. This approach sealed off the site, preventing airborne contaminants from spreading and keeping the interior environment controlled. While temporary shrink wrap enclosures for outdoor painting projects are often highlighted, here the wrap’s ability to maintain a sealed environment was leveraged to safeguard water supply quality.
Flexible and Adaptable Design: Owing to the infrastructure’s complexity, our temporary containment solutions were designed to accommodate pipes, valves, and irregular surfaces. The shrink wrap bonded seamlessly to different shapes, forming a taut and robust enclosure that required minimal adjustments even in challenging configurations.
Environmental Benefits and Project Results
By implementing this industrial shrink wrap containment system, both Wessex Water and Bristol Water successfully completed their repairs and restorations across various UK sites without incident. The work zones remained isolated, mitigating any risk of water contamination. Teams could operate with confidence in a clean, controlled space, minimising downtime and enhancing overall productivity.
Key benefits included:
Reduced Contamination Risk: The sealed enclosure served as a proven barrier, preventing airborne or particulate matter from entering the water supply.
Efficient Maintenance Workflows: With the environment protected, engineers could focus on their tasks, reducing the likelihood of repeated clean-ups or unexpected delays.
Adaptable, Scalable Design: Whether large or small, each site benefited from a consistent, proven process tailored to unique facility layouts.
Get in Touch
Are you seeking a versatile, dependable way to safeguard critical infrastructure or equipment during repairs, blasting, or painting? Ecoshrink’s shrink wrap containment systems offer temporary containment solutions that effectively manage risks in sensitive and high-traffic environments. Contact us today to learn how we can design a custom enclosure for your next project—be it water treatment, environmental containment for blasting, or shrink wrap for hazardous material containment. Let us protect your operations, ensuring safety and peace of mind from start to finish.